Dwindling Days

Every time I look at the ticker at the top of the blog and see the numbers getting smaller it gives me a jolt. I can’t believe how little time is left but how good it will feel to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with my family.
I am continuing to wind things up, lots of meetings. Went to the US Embassy for a town hall meeting with the ambassador. It was pretty interesting, he discussed security ( no real improvement,) street crime is still very common but doesn't seemed to be directed at Americans or other foreigners. It's more if you have a nice car, mobile phone etc., the upcoming Kenyan presidential elections (expect sporadic tribal violence but generally free and fair) Americans get an 85% approval rating from Kenyans, but that doesn’t include the current American govt. (no surprise there), American aid accounts for 16% of Kenya’s GDP. He also said about one American a week dies in an MVA here, considering the state of the roads that is really not a surprise either.
My roommate, Kiersten, left at 6 this morning. It was hard to see her go, as crowded as the room gets all my roommates have become great friends. It’s one of the best things about volunteering at Nyumbani, you meet all kinds of people you never would have the opportunity to befriend at home. All the young ones provide invaluable computer help.
I spent 3 days watching 16 month old Augustus, it was great fun. He is a great kid and reminds me a lot of Jack.
On a sadder note we have lost 13 children in the past 3 weeks in the Lea Toto clinics. HIV continues to take a terrible toll on the children in the slums. We have almost 3000 children we care for but only about 800 are on ARVS. TB is also a big problem and adds to the mortality rate, especially for + kids. Sometimes the unfairness of life is unbearable.
A few weeks ago I went upcountry with a friend and her husband. I met Mary, a retired counselor, on the city bus. They took me to meet her mother, who is in her 80’s and still lives alone in a little farm on the side of a really big hill. From the top of the hill I could see Mt. Kenya! All her neighbors came to greet me and they made me a wonderful lunch. They killed a chicken and cooked it, taught me how to make mukimo, and oohed over the pictures of my family that I brought. I had brought her some lotions and fancy soap which she proudly displayed for everyone They spoke very little English but with Mary translating and lots of sign language we had quite a great time. I asked her mom how she got water, food etc because it’s really a long hike up. She said that she depends on neighbors because she has pain in her knees and can no longer go down the hill. So she’s pretty much confined to her farm which is very isolating. I asked if she had seen a doctor and they all laughed and said the nearest doctor is many many hours away and nobody can afford to go. I also had some Advil with me and figuring she had arthritis I gave it to her and told her how to take it. I spoke with Mary the other day and she said her mom was delighted, the pain in her knees was gone and she could now go up and down the hill!! A simple cheap intervention and it changed a life. Mary said if I ever go back there the line to see me will be up and down the hill!
I am going to the Village on Wednesday for 3 days to finish up there, officially open the library and bring 2 big boxes of clothes donated by one of the Madison schools and a UW sorority. The kids are going to love those. They wear their school uniforms all the time because they don’t really have anything else. There are now 208 children living there, 130 on a waiting list. They are getting ready to build 50 more houses. It’s a hard drive to get there but Nyumbani has the best drivers, no worries.
Elizabeth is going to post pictures for me tomorrow, you'll see new D girls!
Counting down.
Stay safe Officer Tim xoxoxo Little Boy